Parents, children welcome Anaheim police

ANAHEIM – Parents of the troubled Anna Drive community are pleased to see that the police department has given much more attention to their street – the kind of attention that might keep children out of gangs active the neighborhood.

Every Tuesday and Thursday for eight weeks, the police department's Cops 4 Kids program run will be educating and playing with children on Anna Drive and Benmore and Canfield lanes.

The eight-week Mobile Pal program was initiated in August to provide activities for children between 5 and 17 who live in the city's poorest and most-crowded neighborhoods, said Gina Meza, Mobile Pal's director.

"We have our regular downtown Cops 4 Kids center but it pretty much services the kids that are within walking distance from that center. But the idea with the mobile (recreation van) is that we can go out into the neighborhood and we can provide more services to more kids," police Lt. Alex Orozco said.

In July, Manuel Diaz was shot to death by police on Anna Drive, touching off weeks of protests. In August, federal and local law enforcement officers staged predawn raids throughout what officials say are gang-controlled Anaheim neighborhoods – including Anna Drive, making numerous arrest and seizing guns and drugs.

Cops 4 Kids takes a van, full of foldable tables and chairs and lays them out on the sidewalk of Anna Drive and Benmore and Canfield lanes from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Children do homework, learn safety tips and enjoy arts and crafts.

"These two neighborhood were selected because of some of the activities that have been going on there and it's important for the police department to go out and reach those kids in those neighborhoods and it's important for us to have strong community relationships," Orozco said.

Between 25-30 children and their parents attended Thursday, where the children were taught about "stranger danger" in light of Halloween activities. State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Anaheim, attended.

"This is the best part of my job, finding out what the community needs and finding out how to solve problems in these neighborhoods is important," Correa said.

"It's important to have open dialog and an open line of communication between the police, the citizens, and the neighborhoods. It can't be us versus them, them versus us. It has to be one. The community has to understand that the police department is here to protect and serve that they have to work with them so that the police can protect and serve."

The Mobile Pal next will move to the Guinida Lane and Iris Street neighborhood.

Each visit is two hours. The first hour is put toward homework help, where the children can do their schoolwork or Cops 4 Kids can provide worksheets for the children to complete.

"The program provides kids with afterschool activities rather than being locked up in their house if they live in a bad neighborhood," Meza said. "It's productive and it's helpful because most the parents can't help their kids with their homework because a lot of the parents don't speak English"

The second hour is committed to teaching children to develop interpersonal skills, awareness of their surroundings, and how to play constructive roles in the community. Topics range from gang prevention and Internet safety to knowing emergency contacts and bullying.

"We teach the kids to know their surroundings and how to be smart when put in compromising positions," said Melisa Castro, a cadet at Cops 4 Kids. "Some of the kids didn't know their address or their parents' phone numbers to contact in an emergency"

Children who complete the program are honored with a graduation ceremony, a certificate, a helmet, and a worksheet containing everything that they have learned.

The parents are excited about the program. Those who went the first time have attended every program since.

"I love the program, it is very good, I hope (Mobile Pal) never get tired of visiting us. They teach my children what is right and wrong, how to protect themselves, and gives them something to do. If it wasn't for this program, my kids who are 5 and 7, will be at home because it is unsafe for them to be outside," Catalina Guerrera said.

Multiple parents said they would enroll their children into Cops 4 Kids once Mobil Pal moves on to the next neighborhood.

"The police presence has certainly risen, unfortunately since the shooting. But I feel a lot safer roaming the streets now," Guerrera said.

Anna Drive resident David Olvera, 5, has attended five weeks so far.

"I like it. My favorite part of it is arts and crafts," Olvera said. "They also taught me to protect others."

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